Faith
by trackadd
Summary: Voldemort is dead, but Hogwarts still has his followers to deal with. And when a Australian girl comes to protect Harry, problems start.
1. The Other Side of the World

Chapter 1 ****

The Other Side of the world

"So Harry, how do you feel now that Dumbledore is too sick to protect you anymore?" Ron was eager of his friend's safety.

"Not really much feeling. I know I can defend my self against Voldemort, but I don't know what's she going to do about Dumbledore being ill."

"Harry! Didn't you hear?" asked Hermione. "She has sent out for all these wizards and witches from around the world to come out and protect the students here. Only the strongest in their classes, and only wizards between the ages of 16 and 100. She calls them scouts and I think yours, Harry, is a seventh year too."

"How do you know?" asked Ron

"I heard McGonagall and Snape talking. They said that the strongest was to protect you Harry, because it is you that you-know-who wants."

"A seventh year?"

On the other side of the world, in Sydney, Australia, Faith Ryers was at the airport. 

"It isn't fair Hope! She had to pick three days before Christmas to bring the scouts in, didn't she?"

"Faith, you know they wouldn't send you if they really didn't need you. You have to go. You got the letter."

Faith pulled out the Hogwarts letter and read aloud:

"To Faith Ryers, You are being informed that you among millions of others have been selected as one of the best witches/wizards in the world. You must come to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at once. Your flight and train schedules have already been selected for you. You must watch after the students at Hogwarts until our current headmaster, Albus Dumbledore recovers from a serious and recent injury. Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall."

"So what? You know that you are the best. You have a 4.0 in every subject and you understand magic better than anyone in Australia does! McGonagall was right! You are the best in the world."

"I won't be here for Christmas."

"I don't care Faith. You were chosen. You must go. Have faith, Faith." 

They both giggled. They were often made fun of because their names were Faith and Hope. They didn't seem to care very much about it though.

"Would all passengers flying Outback Express flight 317 please board on platform 7? I repeat: Would all passengers flying Outback Express flight 317…" The hallow and thin voice cackled over the intercom.

"That's your flight Faith"

"I know" The friends looked sadly at each other and gave one last hug.

"See you this summer!" Faith boarded the plane and disappeared from sight.

As she flew away, she watched the coast of Australia fade beneath the clouds. She was leaving her home, her friends, her family, and for what? All for a small boy who needed to be protected from the followers of the demented wizard of the present, Lord Voldemort? 

"Only a Lord to his followers. Good thing he is gone…"

About a month earlier, Lord Voldemort had tried to kill Harry Potter, reason unknown. Harry and Albus Dumbledore had finally finished him off.

However, before he died, he aimed a curse at Harry. Dumbledore dodged in front of it and diminished Voldemort's powers. Voldemort died then, but left Dumbledore seriously ill. It was all over the news headlines, TV shows, magazine articles…there wasn't a wizard who didn't know.

Even though Voldemort was dead, his followers remained and they vowed to kill Harry in memory of their master. They vowed to kill Harry in memory of their master. This was why the scouts were needed: This was why Faith was going to Hogwarts.


	2. Meeting the Gang

****

Chapter 2

Meeting the Gang

"So Harry, are you going anywhere for Christmas?"

"And where might I go?"

"Hermione's? My place? You'd be here all alone."

"Nah. I'd kind of like to have the whole common room to myself for a change. It would be nice. I don't think Hermione would bring me to her house for Christmas anyway. Her parents are dentists!"

"Hey Harry! Who is that?" Ron pointed down the hall to a girl standing there.

"I don't know, I've never seen her before. She might be one of the scouts hired to look after us"

"She's HOT!"

"RON!" Harry gently hit his friend to snap him out of the gaze. This girl had long, dark, brown hair, curled at the ends. The front was bleached blonde. Her cloak was not the regular black, it was blue and purple swirled and outlined with gold. Around her neck she wore a beautiful tiny, sapphire necklace. The girl came up to Harry and Ron.

"Excuse me, do you know where I might find a Professor McGonagall?"

"Um…um…" Ron stammered.

"Down the hall and to the left," said Harry, pointing. The girl smiled. Harry noticed that her stone turned red as she neared Ron.

"Thank you. You two are very nice." As she was walking away, Ron turned to Harry.

"She acted like she didn't even know you were Harry Potter!" He said. The girl froze and turned to look at them.

"You acted like you didn't even know I was Faith Ryers." She continued to walk away. 

"She's smart," said Harry. They watched her walk away, her cloak, flowing around her like wind. Suddenly she grabbed a side her cape and swirled it around her. In a blink she was gone.

"How did she do that?" asked Ron. "It's not like you can just disappear like that, especially in Hogwarts. Even if you had the ability, it takes a very strong wizard to do it in all the magic surrounding the castle." 

"That is why," Harry and Ron whirled around to see the voice behind them, "I was chosen to be your guardian…Harry Potter." It was Faith. "It's not like any witch or wizard is chosen to look after students in the best Wizarding School on planet earth."

"You're better than Hermione!" Ron exclaimed.

"Did someone say my name?" She came walking down the stairs next to them, an armful of books in one hand. Faith watched her as the stone turned bright purple, and how when Harry helped her as she tripped on the last stair it turned brighter purple. It was then that Faith knew the secret between Harry and Hermione. It was then that Faith knew her mission, but then suddenly, glass shattered behind her.


	3. Broken Glass

****

Chapter 3

Broken Glass

Hermione screamed. Faith whirled around just in time to see a black shadow crawl in through the broken window and jump on her. Before she had time to react, the thing latched onto her neck and threw her to the floor. The force of the impact carried her backwards and she hit the stairs.

"Harry! Get McGonagall!" Faith managed to force out through her clenched throat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sprinted down the hallways to the Professor's office.

"No! Must kill. Must kill. Harry die. Harry die!" The shadow hissed and spit as he talked, and his breathing was short and heavy. Faith got one arm free and with her palm hit it on the side of the head. This stunned the creature for a moment and gave Faith time to grad beneath her cloak.

She pulled out, instead of a wand, a long samurai sword. With it, she knocked the thing in the head with the but end and stabbed the cloak to the floor with the other. The thing, however, was stronger than the cloak and it tore as he got up. He slashed at Faith with razor claws and caused her to stumble backwards.

The thing slashed at Faith madly. She did her best to dodge them, but the more he slashed the weaker she became and the harder it was to dodge. 

At last faith pulled out her wand and yelled: "MERO HAKRUA!" A white light shot forth from her wand and the creature scurried down the hall. 

"No!" Faith cried. "It can't get deeper down into Hogwarts! MESTO HAKURA!"

This time a silver light shot forth and the thing froze in mid-step. It would be paralyzed for several hours even if it were strong. At that moment, McGonagall, Harry, Hermione, and Ron burst of her office. 

"Faith Ryers?" yelled McGonagall. Faith knew at that time that she could rest. She let go of her wand and let it hit the floor. Her eyes rolled backwards and she fell back onto the floor.

By the time they got to Faith, she was already deep in sleep.

"Will she be alright?"

"She sustained serious injury from the fight from he-who-must-not-be-named's follower. It is amazing she swallowed so much. If is a good thing we hired her to protect you Harry. He might have finished you, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley off. This is a strong one, this is."

Professor applied another damp cloth to faith forehead. She lay unconscious in one of the many infirmary beds.

"So will she?"

"It is hard to say at this point, Mr. Potter. She may, she may not. Only time will tell." 

As McGonagall left, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sat around her bed and watched her sleep.

"I wonder what she's thinking," said Ron.

"She isn't thinking anything Ron"

"How do you know Hermione?"

"Don't you ever READ?! In our fifth year, Professor Ayle, my Ancient Runes teacher, gave me a book about The Wizard Healing ground."

"What is that?"

"Goodness! It's a place all witches and wizards go after they sustain serious injury. Conscious people call it a coma, but they are there, healing and training."

"But…Hermione…she is right here."

"The healing ground is all mental, Ron."

"So, in the other world, the Healing ground, she is becoming even stronger," said Harry.

"See! Harry got it!"

"How long are witches in the healing ground?"

"Hours, days, months…years…" Ron inhaled sharply as Hermione spoke. "It can't be measured."

The three waited faithfully by Faith's side. For some reason they didn't know why. Harry noticed that the stone on her necklace was not a sapphire, but it was actually a Phoenix stone. It was deep blue, which was obviously Faith's color. When Ron got close it turned red. Whenever Hermione or himself got close it turned bright purple. He was just looking at it. Not into like her would normally do, just at it. Suddenly his eyes widened. He figured it out! Harry saw into the Phoenix stone.

At that exact moment, Faith opened her eyes. "Someone looked at life."

"What are you talking about Faith?" Harry asked. Faith looked around the room, then looked at Harry.

"Harry you can see into life, not at life. You saw the world: life, liberty, love…"

"I did?"

"The Phoenix stone is my life. You saw into it. Most people can see it and look at it. You can bend it, move it, turn it to your will…you can look into things. Not everyone can do that…"

"Faith, what was that thing you were fighting?" asked Hermione. Faith fell back on her pillow.

"One of Voldemort's followers. Voldemort is dead, so all his followers are coming after to Harry."

"That explains why Malfoy didn't come to Hogwarts this year…" said Ron.

"Harry," Faith held his hand and looked deep into his green eyes. She searched his soul and into his heart with her eyes. "Harry you are in danger here. I was hired to protect to protect you, but I cannot risk my life like that hundreds upon thousands of times. You need to find a way to defend yourself if I cannot."

"How do I do that?"

Faith hesitated. "I'll show you."


	4. Training

****

Chapter 4

Training

It was Christmas Eve. Harry was with Faith learning to defend himself in the event of a another attack.

"It has been drilled into your head over and over by the teachers at this school that a wizard is only as strong as his ability to use a wand."

"You don't use a wand"

"Exactly. You can be a powerful wizard without a wand. It is a little more difficult, I'm afraid. You must learn to trust your senses. Your sight, your smell, our hearing…these are all key elements. Now close your eyes. Vision a grassy plain far from England somewhere on the other side of the earth. The air is clean and fresh as if no one alive has yet to breathe in it. You hear it. There is water running near you. A small river. A bird sings overhead you, a deer roams to your left. You hear the soft padding of hooves and the gentle tearing of grass as it eats.

"You hear a herd of horses running in the distance. There are a dozen of them, all running together. Hear the hooves, feel the beat, the rhythmic pounding of hooves on grass. Feel the heartbeat. Feel the horse's heart beating inside its chest." Faith paused. She looked at the wide smile of Harry's face. "Open your eyes." He did so, slowly.

The world looked different to Harry, it was serene now, civil. For once in his life, he saw the world through different eyes.

"Unexplainable?" asked Faith.

"Exactly! I don't know how to say it, but I feel…free"

"Remember the emotion you have now. Remember what makes you feel this way. And remember your state of mind. This is important. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"You must become one with the running horses. You need to become like them, wild, and you must rely on your sense to react. Can you do that?

"Yes."

"Close your eyes." Faith walked around Harry, softly. She suddenly jumped and threw her fist at his thigh. "OW! Why did you hit me?!"

"Listen. Follow the footsteps like deer. Listen to every small detail. React to movement." Faith walked slowly around Harry. She aimed a punch on the other side, but he blocked it. 

"You are learning."

Harry smiled. Off guard, she threw a soft punch at his jaw.

"You hit me again!"

"You weren't ready! Do you want me to try again?"

"Okay, but if you hit me, it's over."

Faith walked and this time Harry's body followed her movement. She jumped ahead a few steps and aimed for his stomach. He blocked. She moved for his jaw. He blocked. She moved for his shoulder. He blocked. She walked around again and aimed for the same places. Each time he blocked.

"You are learning very fast Harry. That is all I need to teach you tonight. You can go and sleep now."

"Happy Christmas Faith." He said as he was walking out the door. When no response came, he turned around. Faith had disappeared.


End file.
